Pippa Wetzell
Presenter
After gaining a Bachelor of Communications from AUT, Pippa Wetzell began the graveyard shift at TVNZ's newsdesk in 1998. Three years later she was reporting for One News; after time as a fill-in host on Breakfast, she joined Paul Henry as official co-host in 2007. Wetzell continued on the show until Henry left in late 2010. In January 2013 she was announced as new presenter of Fair Go, working alongside Gordon Harcourt.
It was very very flattering to be asked to join, and I feel hugely privileged. It's a show that's been around for such a long time, and it's so well respected – it's loved. Pippa Wetzell, on joining Fair Go – Breakfast, 27 February 2013
More information
Seven Sharp - Peter Posa
Instrumental track ‘White Rabbit’ made Peter Posa a household name in the 60s — the success of the two minute guitar solo led to US recordings and meetings with Frank Sinatra and Chet Atkins. In 2012 a best of compilation debuted atop the NZ album chart, and later became the year’s biggest selling release. This May 2015 Seven Sharp piece sees Hadyn Jones head to Waikato Hospital to interview “New Zealand’s greatest guitar player”. Jones discovers that a stroke appears to have ended the 74-year-old pensioner's guitar playing; but it has also liberated him from depression.
Seven Sharp
Seven Sharp debuted in 2013 on TV One's weeknight 7pm slot. It replaced long-running current affairs show Close Up. As TVNZ’s primetime post-news show, it has hosted major events like the general election leaders’ debate. Original presenters Alison Mau, Jesse Mulligan and Greg Boyed were replaced in the second series by two hosts: Toni Street and Mike Hosking. In 2018 Hilary Barry and Jeremy Wells took over. Seven Sharp's debut marked a television journalism shift from one-on-one interviews, to a more conversational engagement with events of the day.
Anzac Day Dawn Service
Paul Henry and Pippa Wetzell introduce a live broadcast of the Anzac Day dawn service at Waikumete Cemetery in Auckland. This is New Zealand's largest war cemetery and a service is held here each year. This service commemorates all service personnel who have served overseas for New Zealand. Waitakere Mayor Bob Harvey speaks, Returned Services Association members, politicians and the public lay tributes. Miriama Kamo provides a commentary. The programme excerpted here marked the beginning of TV ONE's Anzac Day coverage, which ran all day.
Sunday
Screening each weekend after TV One's primetime news, Sunday mixes New Zealand stories with reports from overseas. The local contributions have ranged from celebrity interviews, to reports that took months to put together (including award-winning pieces on the 2008 Chinese poisoned milk scandal, and how patients were treated at Porirua Hospital). Over the years, Sunday's roster of journalists has included veterans John Hudson, Janet McIntyre, Ian Sinclair, and current presenter Miriama Kamo. The show has played in both hour and half-hour formats.
Breakfast
Breakfast first aired in August 1997 on TV One. Screening five mornings a week over a three hour time slot, the programme mixes news and entertainment interviews with updates of news, sport and weather. The format of one male and one female presenter began with original hosts Mike Hosking and Susan Wood, and has included Pippa Wetzell and Paul Henry (who won controversy for Breakfast comments about an Indian politician), and Brit Rawdon Christie and Alison Pugh. A Saturday version of Breakfast was trialled in 2011, but abandoned the next year.
Halberg Awards
Fair Go
Popular consumer affairs show Fair Go is one of New Zealand TV's longest-running series. It began in 1977, devised by Brian Edwards and producer Peter Morritt. The TVNZ programme mixes investigative reporting (daring to "name names" and expose rip-off merchants everywhere) with light-hearted segments. Its roster of presenters has included Edwards, Judith Fyfe, Hugo Manson, Philip Alpers, Kerre McIvor (nee Woodham), Carol Hirschfeld, Gordon Harcourt, and longest serving host, Kevin Milne. A perennial favourite segment is the round-up of the year's ad campaigns.
TV One News
In 1975 TV One launched with a flagship 6.30 news bulletin which went largely unchanged with the move to TVNZ in 1980. In a 1987 revamp, it became the Network News with dual newsreaders Judy Bailey and Neil Billington (replaced by Richard Long). In 1988, the half hour programme moved to 6pm. With the advent of TV3 in late 1989, it was rebranded One Network News; and, from 1995, extended to an hour. The ill-fated replacing of Long with John Hawkesby in 1999 saw it make headlines rather than report them. In 1999, there was another name change to One News.